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The Supreme Court has asked the Centre, states, Union Territories, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Law Commission and other authorities to respond to a Public Interest Litigation seeking stricter measures against child abduction.
Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed the plea and sought a common Standard Investigation Procedure (SIP) for such cases across the country.
The petition proposes time-bound investigations and dedicated courts for faster trials.
The petition further highlights instances where authorities allegedly record missing-person reports or general diary entries instead of immediately registering criminal cases.
According to the plea, such delays can hinder efforts to trace abducted children.
The petitioner has therefore sought immediate FIR registration, prompt search operations and completion of investigations within a fixed timeframe. He has further proposed that officers below the ACP or SHO rank should not handle these investigations.
The plea recommends real-time digital monitoring to assist child-tracing operations, along with stronger coordination between states. It seeks greater use of digital and forensic techniques and deployment of specially trained investigators.
The petitioner has proposed dedicated courts for abduction cases and called for trials to conclude within one year.
The plea further seeks scrutiny of accused persons’ assets and action under laws concerning money laundering, benami properties and black money. It calls for confiscating wealth allegedly generated through child abduction.
The petitioner has argued for consecutive sentences in child abduction cases to strengthen deterrence.
The plea links such crimes with human trafficking, illegal adoption, forced labour, sexual exploitation, begging and child marriage. It further states that investigation delays can reduce the chances of safely recovering children while increasing their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation.
The petition refers to incidents reported in June and July 2026. These include an alleged newborn-selling racket in Delhi. It further mentions the kidnapping and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Mehrauli.
Another case involves the abduction of a one-month-old baby in Hyderabad.
The petition cites alleged child trafficking cases linked to Rajasthan and Udaipur.
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